She jolted at the sound of her name. Blinking, her eyes widened. Shooting a glance to the side, John remained calm, so she drew strength from that. “Yes… um… what would you need me to do?”
“Almost everyone in John’s department has a marketing background—except you. Your background is journalism, and John tells me that you have a particular proclivity for human-interest stories.”
Sally paused again, but Kimberly had no idea what response should be given. Wishing she’d had another cup of coffee to sharpen her mind, she fell back on a simple nod, hoping that would suffice.
“The news is full of opioid addiction. No one is denying that it’s a serious problem and needs attention. But, in the world of pharmaceuticals, there is much more good being produced than harm. Antibiotics, biologics, pain relievers, cancer treatments… just to name a few and, as you know, the list goes on. Yes, I know that part of your job is to work on the brochures that are distributed to doctors, hospitals, patients, and schools that tout the benefits of our world-class pharmaceuticals. But, perhaps, what’s missing is the human interest here at Kilton Pharmaceuticals.”
Sally had snagged Kimberly’s attention, and her grip loosened as she realized she was being asked to help on a new assignment, not reprimanded for some gregarious mistake. “What type of publication are you thinking of?”
“We would like to begin distributing stories among our other publications. Stories of employees that place us in a better light. In some of our publications, it might be nothing more than a few quotes from someone but, initially, we’d like you to develop short but in-depth articles. These could be shared with newspapers, magazines, online publications as well as go out in any other Kilton press releases.”
“So, you’d like me to interview employees of Kilton Pharmaceuticals?”
“Exactly. We’d like you to have the opportunity to talk with the other VPs and some department supervisors. Also, include some of our many lower-level employees. While John has to approve what gets printed, you’d be given free rein to develop the article ideas. We think this would utilize your talents but, quite frankly, assist us as well as we attempt to alter the public’s perception of our company.”
Her mind began to race with possibilities, and her shoulders relaxed at the idea of her new assignment. Lifting her gaze, she saw that Sally was continuing to stare intently toward her. Nodding, she quickly assured, “Ms. Gleason, I’m very interested in this. I’d like to thank you for this opportunity.”
Inclining her head toward John, Sally said, “You can thank John. When I brought the concept to him, you were the first person he thought of. When he told me of your education, background, and interests, I agreed that you’d be the best person for tackling this assignment.” She stood and reached her hand over the desk.
Kimberly leapt to her feet, clasping Sally’s hand in her own. Stepping back, she allowed John to do the same before following him out of the office. Barely able to contain her excitement until they entered the elevator, he laughed as she squealed.
“John, thank you so much! This is exactly what I would like to be doing!”
“She was right when she said you were the first person I thought of. You’re wasting away in marketing, although I’m glad to have you on my team. That'll give you a chance to showcase your talents as a writer as well as showcase our company.”
“And I can choose who I want to interview?”
“I’m going to give you a day or so to draw up a list of who you’d like to talk to and how you’d like to proceed. You and I will meet and go over your initial ideas. Once approved, you’ll be able to begin.”
Hurrying back to her desk, she shared her new assignment with Marcus and began to brainstorm. Pulling up the company’s organizational chart, she started a list. Vice presidents, of course. Supervisors. Product line workers. The list grew longer.
Her landlord and neighbor, Bob, worked in one of the warehouses and she decided she would talk to him. He was also the reason she first interviewed with Kilton Pharmaceuticals. She had just moved in, desperately looking for employment, and he mentioned that his company was always looking for fresh blood. She hadn’t been able to find a job in journalism, and he convinced her to apply to their marketing department. Using him as a reference, she’d snagged the